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Mawney Road, ROMFORD, RM7 7HL

An unusual block of flats in Romford

The Mawney Arms is located on Mawney Road at the junction with Willow Street.

Viewing this building on satellite imagery it looks like the old Wembley Stadium, but there is more than a hint that it is not quite symmetrical with the southern end wider than the northern. It is a residential block of flats and is viewed here looking across St Edwards Way, better known as the Romford Ring Road.

The River Rom just clips across the north-east corner of this grid square as it goes under the Romford Ring Road, prior to entering a long culvert under the Brewery Development site. This is the view looking upstream from the ring road bridge. The grey slab at the top of the photograph is the bottom of a maintenance access ramp.

The River Rom just clips across the north-east corner of this grid square as it goes under the Romford Ring Road, prior to entering a long culvert under the Brewery Development site. This is the view looking downstream from the ring road bridge with a rather attractive footbridge that allows pedestrian access between two car parks.

This was an attempt to try to re-create a Francis Frith image of an ordinary street scene from 100 years ago. The Frith image can be seen here http://www.francisfrith.com/search/england/essex/romford/photos/romford_59816.htm I did not quite get the angle right but the houses are recognisably the same. The identical houses on the right side of the street visible in the Frith version still exist by the way. This photograph was taken at the junction of Como Street with Brooklands Road to the left and Olive Street to the right. The houses must have been fairly new in 1908 as the 1897 Edition of the Ordnance Survey 6" to the mile map does not show them, although Como Street itself is shown. Spot the differences! The furthest three in the first block of six have evidently lost their pitched roofs over the bay windows at some stage, and indeed this seems to have happened to most of the houses in the street.

This is the view opposite Image This time we have Linden Street in view, a small cul-de-sac which stems off Como Street. Just out of shot to the left is a car park for a medical centre which backs out onto and can be seen from St Edwards Way. View taken looking northwest in the direction of North Street.

The River Rom as it enters a culvert under the town centre. Public access to this part of the Rom is difficult, as most of it has been culverted. However, plans have recently been announced to open up parts of the river.